As World War II progressed, technological advancements were made faster than production could implement them at times. After learning from shortcomings in their early war production armor, countries sought out new weapons to outclass those of years past.

The new tanks of the era were faster, stronger and heavier armored than their early war counterparts. Armored combat became more and more frequent, as both sides constantly looked to gain the upper hand through research.

Represented in this time period are some of the more famous tanks of the war. Such vehicles as the M4 Sherman, Panzer VI Tiger and Panzer V Panther started appearing on the front lines, forever changing the face of modern warfare.

Once both sides committed to this sort of warfare, the earlier tanks such as the M3 Stuart and Panzer III's were delegated to a support role or were to be modified for other forms of weapons.

Panzer IV Ausf G

Combat Role: Medium Assault Tank / Infantry Assault Tank

Weakness: Low rear armor causing a vulnerability to rear attacks.

Threat to Enemy: Reasonable cost, able to attack from 10 hexes. Able to reliably hit medium armor at long range.

Favored Target: Light and medium armor at all ranges. Heavy armor at medium and close range. Infantry at all ranges.

Effects from Loss: Moderate. Even though it is one of the lower costing Axis units that packs a punch, it’s cost still prevents more than 3 being fielded at once. Loss of this unit could weaken your attack abilities by more than 1/3.

Deployment Strategy: Deployment depends on the map design as well as other units in your squad. Given this, most of the time the Panzer IV Ausf G. Should be deployed in a spread out formation to prevent any tanks from sneaking in between and getting in a shot to the underprotected rear of your tanks.

SS-Panther Ausf D

Combat Role: Heavy Assault Tank / Infantry Assault Tank

Weakness: Low rear armor causing vulnerability to rear attacks.

Threat to Enemy: The SS-Panther is one of the best all around units the Axis can throw at you. Able to move while disrupted makes this tank impossible to pin down. Coupled with its max range of 12 hexes and superior armor, the SS-Panther is one of the best in the game.

Favored Target: Light armor and medium armor at all ranges. Heavy armor at short and medium range. Infantry at all ranges.

Effects from Loss: Severe. With a cost of nearly 50, loss of this unit means that you have lost half of your force in one swift stroke.

Deployment Strategy: Due to its higher cost, the SS-Panther could perhaps be the only armor unit you field. Given this it should be put in a situation to engage the enemy at long range, keeping them away from a possible flank maneuver. If you do have another tank as support, you can advance the Panther towards the front and engage the enemy closer, creating a greater chance of destroying their tanks with one attack while covering the Panther’s flank with the supporting unit. Unlike other tanks, disruption does not normally spell the beginning of the end for the Panther, given its SS Determination.

Tiger I

Combat Role: Heavy Assault Tank / Infantry Assault Tank

Weakness: High cost prevents nearly any sort of other supporting armor units. Can be outnumbered and destroyed.

Threat to Enemy: Extremely high defense and attack values. Able to attack at a range of 10 hexes, superior armor causes 9 successes to damage.

Favored Target: Light and medium armor at all ranges. Heavy armor at short and medium range. Infantry at all ranges.

Effects from Loss: Severe. Losing the Tiger means you have most likely lost the scenario unless you have done your share of damage to the enemy. At a cost of 63, it is a major portion of your squad.

Deployment Strategy: Deploy the Tiger in a defensive position that does not lend easy access to its rear such as a side or corner of a map. Try to funnel the enemy through pinch points to minimize being outgunned. If attacked at multiple angles, neutralize the enemy that is attempting to attack your rear. Do not move the Tiger towards the objective until all enemy armor has been defeated. By performing a delayed attack such as this, the Tiger cannot be drawn into an engagement in which it is outnumbered.

SS Panzer IV Ausf F2

Combat Role: Medium Assault Tank / Infantry Assault Tank

Weakness: Low rear armor value

Threat to Enemy: A smaller version of the SS-Panther, the Panzer IV F2 is not able to be pinned, making it impossible to actually stop prior to destruction. Coupled with an extended range of 10, the SS Panzer IV is a lower cost alternative to the Panther.

Favored Target: Light armor at short range. Infantry at short and medium ranges.

Effects from Loss: Moderate. While its abilites make it a strong unit, the Panzer IV F2's cost is low enough to afford other vehicles as well. While its loss could sway the tide of the skirmish, it's workload should be able to be distributed to other units on the field.

Deployment Strategy: Follow the same deployment rules as Panzer IV Ausf G, however attempt to draw as much fire with this unit as possible. Coupling by using the Panzer IV F2 in conjunction with a pair of Panzer IV's seems to be a fair match for any sort of swarm you will get thrown at you. If you are using this unit in support of the heavier units such as the Tiger, be sure to maneuver yourself in a manner that does not compromise the flank of the heavier units.

Type 2 Ka-Mi Amphibious Tank

Combat Role: Light Support Tank / Infantry Support Tank

Weakness: Low armor values as well as minimal successes against vehicles.

Threat to Enemy: Able to cross streams and lake hexes, adding another dimension to attacks. Infantry attacks are equal to that of the other Axis tanks making it able to be used as a low-cost anti-infantry platform.

Effects from Loss: Minor. With a very low cost, the Type 2 is nothing more than a support / surprise attack vehicle. It's abilities do not lend it well against armored targets.

Deployment Strategy: To use the Type 2 outside of a scenario or a map including a lot of waterways is simply a loss of 9 points. Given its low armor and low attacks vs. vehicles, it should only be deployed in situations that it would make the most out of its amphibious nature. If given the opportunity, advance this tank into the flank of infantry via a lake or stream. By doing this, it could keep your opponent guessing enough to open an opportunity for your heavier units to close and fire.

Type 97 Chi-Ha

Combat Role: Light Reserve Tank / Infantry Support Tank

Weakness: Low armor values, no clear strength.

Threat to Enemy: Not an overwhelming threat on the surface, the Type 97 builds upon the forest fighting abilities of the Japanese tanks. If located in a forest hex, this unit gains an additional attack dice, while still benefiting from the cover provided from the forest.

Effects from Loss: Minor. As with most of the lighter armor, the Type 97 should only be used in support roles as it simply does not have the offensive or defensive abilities to withstand front line punishment.

Deployment Strategy: As with the early war Type 95, enter the forest as soon as you are able to. In doing so, you afford yourself a better chance at disrupting advancing enemy units. This in turn will provide an easier target for your main force to clean up. Avoid direct enemy contact with this unit as it does not have the armor to stand up against the larger tanks of the day.

Type 1 Ho-Ni

Combat Role: Light Reserve Tank / Infantry Support Tank

Weakness: Can only attack enemies to the front, low armor.

Threat to Enemy: As a low cost vehicle, the Type 1 packs a punch equal to that of the allied T-34/76 and KV-1. Essentially a mobile anti-tank piece, it can do a reasonable job with providing an extra hit per turn, lessening the load on your main tanks.

Effects from Loss: Moderate. Although its cost is very low for its strength, its offensive power and ability to assist your assault tanks is hard to match, especially at 12 points.

Deployment Strategy: Use the Type 1 as you would any other support vehicle. Deploy close enough to action to assist with the assault / defense of the objective, yet utilize LOS to minimize enemy contact. With a frontal value of 3, many of the 1942 and beyond tanks will not have much difficulty in removing the Type 1 from action very quickly.